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JUNE 29-JULY 6, 2022
CULTURE & HERITAGE
CELEBRATING THE HISTORY
OF EASTERN OREGON
Wildhorse Pow Wow showcases Native American culture
By Tammy Malgesini
Go! Magazine
MISSION — After two years
of silent drums, Native American
drummers, singers and danc-
ers will once again participate
in cultural traditions during the
Wildhorse Pow Wow.
Open to all, people are invited
to enjoy the sprint of the gather-
ing. Colorful regalia and intricate
ceremonial clothing is featured
during the celebration.
In its 26th year, the event
gets underway with the grand
entry on Friday, July 1, 7 p.m.
at the Pow Wow Event Grounds
at Wildhorse Resort & Casino,
located off Interstate 84, exit
216 at Mission. The dancing and
drumming competitions contin-
ue Saturday, July 2 and Sunday,
July 3, with the grand entry at
1 p.m. both days. There is no
admission charge.
With more than $90,000 in
cash and prizes on the line, tribal
members from across the United
States and Canada will compete.
Dancers of all ages participate in
a variety of categories, including
traditional, fancy, golden age,
grass, chicken and jingle.
The host drum is Southern
Style from Montezuma Creek,
Utah. Bigg J.R. Keeswood shared
about the “vibe and power”
of the drum in a documentary
produced in 2018 about the
group’s journey to the Gather-
ing of Nations. The largest pow
wow in North America, it’s held
each spring in Albuquerque, New
Mexico.
Keeswood said producing
music encourages people to
dance. That, he said, can facili-
tate happiness and healing.
The Wildhorse Pow Wow also
features traditional foods and
Xavier Bolton of
Stand Off, Alberta,
competes during
a tiebreaker
round of dancing
on July 7, 2019,
at the Wildhorse
Pow Wow. After a
two-year hiatus,
the dancing
and drumming
competition
returns July
1-3, 2022, at
the Pow Wow
Event Grounds at
Wildhorse Resort
& Casino, Mission.
EO Media Group,
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Native American arts and crafts.
Vendor booths will offer every-
thing from Indian fry bread and
beadwork to clothing and jewelry.
Also, leading up to the cele-
bration, Wildhorse Resort & Casi-
no is hosting Pow Wow Comedy
Night. The free show is Thursday,
June 30, 7-10 p.m. in the Rivers
Event Center.
Headlining the event is Tonia
Jo Hall (Lakota, Dakota, Hidatsa),
aka “Auntie Beachress.” In addi-
tion to yucking it up, the come-
dienne is a motivational speaker,
jingle dancer and self-described
“pow wow addict.”
Hall told Native Max Magazine
that she got her start in comedy
in 2011. Armed with sub-par
equipment, she posted videos
on the internet.
“Going viral wasn’t on my
mind,” Hall said. “Making others
laugh was the goal.”
Opening the show is Marc
Yaffee, founder and co-star of
the “Pow Wow Comedy Jam.”
According to his biography,
Yaffee was adopted as a child
and raised by a Mexican mother
and a Jewish father. It wasn’t until
early adulthood that he learned
of his Navajo roots.
Yaffee got his start at an open
mic in 1999. Since then, his
career has included gigs at tribal
celebrations, atop a tool shed in
Iraq and in Las Vegas showrooms.
For more information, visit
www.wildhorseresort.com.
11am-8pm Tuesday-Saturday